Czech president Milos Zeman swears his way through a radio interview in
English and Czech, leading to hundreds of complaints

The Czech president has come under attack from the country’s prime minister for his liberal use of profanities in a radio interview that shocked the nation.

The country’s media watchdog said it received hundreds of complaints following the Sunday night interview in which Milos Zeman demonstrated his knowledge of English expletives while littering his speech with Czech vulgarities.

“The president should not speak in such a way as it damages the reputation of the presidency, sets a bad example and does nothing for our reputation abroad,” said an angry Bohuslav Sobotka, the Czech prime minister.

Petr Fiala, leader of the opposition Civic Democrats, also joined in a chorus of disapproval emanating from across the political spectrum saying the president “no longer just pushes the limits: he exceeds them.”

Much of the president’s swearing occurred when he spoke about the Russian punk group Pussy Riot. Not mincing his words, he called them “b******” and used crude terms when translating the group’s name into Czech.

He also asked the interviewer the rhetorical question: “You know what p**** means in English?”

A new civil service law also provoked some presidential swearing with Mr Zeman describing it as the Czech equivalent of “****** up”.

The country’s media standards watchdog, said it had received hundreds of complaints from shocked listeners, and that the president’s comments could have painful consequences for Czech Radio, the station that broadcast the interview.

The council’s president said Czech Radio could be liable for a fine of up to £281,000 if it was established the broadcast had put at risk “the moral development of children”.

In its defence, Czech Radio has argued as the interview was live it could not be held responsible for the president’s language.

Reacting to the outrage caused by the president’s vocabulary, a presidential spokesman said Mr Zeman was just trying to reach the same level of his opponents “who tolerate such language.”